Concentrating mainly but not exclusively on the Loire's vineyards, its vignerons and their wines along with places to eat and stay. Also covers some recently published wine books – not just from Loire. Regional Chair for Loire @Decanter's World Wine Awards since its inception.
Winner of the 2009 Wine Blog Trophy (journalist category) Salon des Vins de Loire. I have a large and expanding library of photos, particularly from the Loire – places, producers, vineyards etc. European.

2012:Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award

Thursday, 19 September 2013

An eventful bike ride: Chien 1 Cyclist 0 or what to do in France if bitten by a dog

The Loire isn't as quiet and peaceful as you think!

Yesterday soon after I posted: 'Loire 2013 – certainly going to be a late vintage' – I set off on my mountain bike for a quiet spin through the local vineyards to get an initial idea of how the grapes were looking and to take a few photos. The ride turned out to be considerably more eventful and painful than I anticipated!

Eventful because I got bitten by a dog – a braque – not just a nip but a proper bite with the dog's tooth going well into my right calf. Not sure it was a Braque de Weimar but it certainly looked like this and was certainly a powerful brute.

It happened around 5pm in the 'badlands!' of Saint-Georges-sur-Cher I had cut down through the vines to the east of Château les Coudraies and joined a small road heading east. I passed an elderly man sitting by a small bridge over a stream. Almost immediately two barking dogs, one a braque and one a much smaller breed, ran out from the wood close to where the man was sitting. I slowed down to avoid colliding with the dogs and then accelerated to try to get away from them. The powerful braque was on my right side snarling and snapping. It kept up with me as I accelerated up the hill and sank its teeth into my right calf with one tooth going in quite deeply. The other dog chased on my left hand side but made no attempt to bite.

I continued riding and managed to distance the dogs. However, as it was clear that the braque had inflicted a substantial bite, I stopped and walked back with the bike to the bridge to ascertain if the man was the dog's owner. As I walked back the braque continued to try to bite me: managing one small nip as I used the bike as a shield. Regrettably I rather forgot my journalistic instincts as I ought to have taken an immediate photo of the bites.

The man explained that the dog belonged to his son, who had been on holiday in Morocco, and was returning that evening. He was a retired doctor, who lived in the house very close to the bridge. He offered to disinfect my wounds and bandage them up, which, given the state of the bites I happily accepted.

The dressing over the bites taken nearly 24 hours after it happened

An hour or so later I headed down to the chemist and the doctors' surgery in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher, where I was seen amazingly quickly by Docteur Yannick Legeay, who redressed my wounds, prescribed antibiotics and organised a tetanus jab. Dr Legeay turned out to be a keen amateur du vin. He also alerted me to the strict laws in France regarding dog bites – see below. I was equally impressed by the Pharmacie-des-Vignes, which is part of the same complex at the eastern end of Saint-Georges-sur-Cher. Unfortunately the bite has also proved to be painful to my pocket running up bills of 74.71€ to the doctor and the chemist, although I will be able to claim this back.

In France new laws on dangerous dogs were passed in 2008. The owner of any dog that bites someone has to take the dog to the vet within 24 hours of the incident and then has to make two further visits to the vet. Not only will the dog's health be checked but its 'dangerosité' will be assessed.

This morning, kindly accompanied by Michel Mergot, the maire of Epeigné-les-Bois, I went back to see the owner of the dog, who had now returned from his holiday in Morocco. I wanted to insist that he took his dog to the vet, as the next time it could be a small child on a bike who gets attacked. The dog's owner lives in the north of France, so he has arranged to take his dog to a vet in his home town.

Useful explanation of the French law on dog bites from www.santevet.com:

2 comments:

What an awful thing to happen.Lulu was bitten by another dog when she was only one year old. We were walking behind the château when a black lab, of all things, broke free from its owner and came running towards us, dragging its lead. It attacked Lulu, biting her on the hip. The owner was one of those pathetically feeble scrawny women who had no chance of controlling the dog.I was more concerned with getting us both away without further harm so didn't have the chance to question the silly woman as she tried to get her dog under control.

Lulu ended up with an abcess, a serious infection and was very poorly indeed. I thought we were going to lose her but the vet at Preuilly saved her.

So look after that bite. Dog bites are often infected, which is hardly surprising when you think about what they put in their mouths.

Thanks for the useful link to the law on dogs in France. I hope your bite heals soon.

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